The easy answer to this question is: down. After having opportunities to pull out late victories in recent weeks against the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers, one might argue that the Packers would be better off just losing the rest of their games to gain a better draft position. A high draft pick in 2024 could spell the end of Love’s time as a Packer because of the contract Green Bay gave him.
Where Do the Green Bay Packers Go From Here?
Assessing Jordan Love
On the other hand, Love has shown considerable strides over the last few weeks. This has occurred largely because of an improved run game and a healthy offensive line. The Packers, while struggling to put up wins, are firmly entrenched in the process of rebuilding this team with young talent. From the offensive playmakers to the front seven of the defense, the Packers have imported numerous young prospects to help fill the shoes of recently departed players. Key losses over the years include Devante Adams, Robert Tunyan, Rasul Douglas, and Za’Darius Smith.
Green Bay’s lack of dependable veterans showed up against the Steelers. In Pittsburgh, players in the secondary like Carrington Valentine, Jonathan Owens, and Keisean Nixon all committed costly penalties to help Pittsburgh keep scoring drives alive. Love has had his share of missed throws, while nearly all of the rookies on offense have dropped passes. Against the Steelers, the Packers suffered from the same mistakes, which led to missed opportunities.
Less Slow Starts Could Spell More Success
Slow starts have also plagued the Packers, but against the Steelers the Packers not only started hot on offense, but they also held Pittsburgh to only 6 points in the second half. Channeling this sort of energy and creating more consistency to start their games will only help the Packers chances of keeping contests within reach.
Up ahead, the Packers visit the red-hot Detroit Lions in between their home games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. All three of those teams have one thing in common: potent offenses led by a top-tier quarterback. The Chargers, Chiefs, and Lions all rank amongst the league’s top passing teams.
This means that the Packers will be tested, especially on defense. Green Bay’s secondary must refrain from committing costly penalties to keep these games within reach. If the Packers can manage to come away from this three-game stretch with even one victory, it will help build their confidence for an ensuing stretch of games that include a handful of winnable games.
Erase Penalties and Drops
While there will be pressure on the defense to contain these potent offenses, Love and the offense must put together the same sort of drives that helped them keep pace with Pittsburgh through nearly all four quarters. Building the offense around the running game has produced more successful drives. It also helped open up the down-field passing attack that Matt Lafleur favors. Love has at least shown through his time as a starter a willingness to look downfield for deep shots early in his progressions. This should instill some confidence in a passing attack that currently ranks in the bottom half of the league (per ESPN stats).
If Green Bay finds themselves sitting at 3-9 after their game against the Chiefs, change could be on the horizon for the Packers.
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